Radial gradient-index eyepiece design

Appl Opt. 1988 Aug 1;27(15):3170-6. doi: 10.1364/AO.27.003170.

Abstract

Three- and four-element eyepiece designs are presented each with a different type of radial gradient-index distribution. Both quadratic and modified quadratic index profiles are shown to provide effective control of the field aberrations. In particular, the three-element design with a quadratic index profile demonstrates that the inhomogeneous power contribution can make significant contributions to the overall system performance, especially the astigmatism correction. Using gradient-index components has allowed for increased eye relief and field of view making these designs comparable with five- and six-element ones.